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Staying in Shape Post-MenopauseBy Tiffany Spudich, R.Ph., Pharm. D. Going through menopause? Have you been noticing your jeans just do not zip up as easily as they used to? Well, you will be happy to know that you are definitely not alone. About 90% of menopausal women gain some weight between the ages of 35 and 55. On average, women gain about a pound a year during this time. During menopause weight tends to accumulate around the abdomen instead of around the hips and thighs. Your body’s changes in hormone levels can have a direct impact on your appetite, metabolism, and fat storage. In addition to balancing your body’s hormone levels, making some simple changes in your daily lifestyle can also help to minimize weight gain, which in turn can help to reduce the risk of chronic health problems such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Here are some tips for avoiding weight gain during menopause:
- Keep physically active. This cannot be stressed enough. Again, keep physically active. Exercise not only burns calories but helps prevents muscle loss. Aerobic exercise boosts your metabolism and helps you burn fat. Strength training exercises increase muscle mass, boost your metabolism, and strengthen your bones. Start by gently adding more activity into your days. Take the stairs, not the elevator. Do more gardening and dancing. Take longer walks or try out a bike while listening to your headphones along the way to lift your spirits. Make it your goal to be active for a total of 30 minutes or more a day on most days.
- Get the water habit. When you feel thirsty, choose water above cola, coffee, fruit juice, or alcohol. If you have an alcoholic drink at dinner, drink water as well, either alongside or mixed with wine to make a spritzer. Plus, minimizing caffeine and alcohol intake can help decrease water retention.
- Eat healthy. As generic as it can sound, paying attention to the foods you are eating and slightly reducing the amount of calories you consume each day is a major factor in maintaining your weight. Eat at least five fruits and vegetables each day. Invest in a veggie cook book and make at least two non-meat meals a week. Serve two vegetables, not including potatoes, with every meal and in large portions. Use vegetables to make simple snacks like carrot sticks. Even grow a few of your own in pots, but also do not forget to stock up every time you shop. Eat fish and lean meats. Enjoy healthy nuts like almonds and walnuts. Choose whole grains. Try to minimize greasy foods, fried foods, sugary foods, and junk foods. Avoid fad diets, as simply instilling healthier eating habits on a gradual basis will last for the rest of your life.
- Always eat sitting down. This one is for you if you frequently cook and know that you tend to nibble. A spoonful of sauce here, a handful of grated cheese, the scrapings from the mashed potato pan...oh, how it all adds up. Before you know it, you have eaten the equivalent of half a meal and sabotaged your desire to avoid that menopausal weight gain. Try to train yourself to associate food with a table, a plate, and cutlery. Recruit a friend or family member as your taste tester, as they are sure not to mind.
- Avoid mindless grazing. Try not to eat when you are distracted by television or gobble food down when you are rushing to be somewhere else. Think about your food as you eat. You will feel satisfied faster, eat less, and enjoy it more. Plus, eating slower and thoroughly chewing your food aids in digestion.
- Watch your portion sizes. If the kids are now gone you might find yourself dining in restaurants more often. People who frequently eat in restaurants have more of a tendency to overeat and develop problems with weight gain. Share your meals or take half of them home with you. At home you may pile on the pasta if you are feeding teenagers or if you have a partner who comes home with a huge appetite after doing strenuous labor all day long. And it can become second nature to serve identical amounts to everyone. But ask yourself, do you need that heaped plate? Give yourself more vegetables, less carbohydrates, and smaller portions generally. Soon you will do it without even thinking about it and will not want large helpings any more.
- Halve the amount of fat you use. Yes, or leave it out altogether. A slice of bread calls out for butter – does it not? Well no, if you are going to use it for a sandwich that has a moist filling. Experiment with using less or sometimes no fat in daily food preparation. Emphasize fats from healthier sources, such as nuts and olive, canola, and peanut oils. Use oil sprays to give a fine film of fat, rather than a puddle, for cooking. Fat is massively high in calories. Although you do need some in your diet, you can make really useful calorie cuts without sacrificing eating enjoyment simply by slimming down the amount of fat you use.
- Relax, chill out, and find things you love to do. What has that got to do with your desire to avoid weight gain after menopause? A lot. Chronic stress and lack of sleep can contribute to weight gain. You will benefit every single aspect of your health, and your girth, if you allocate more time to fun and to valuable rest.
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